Today’s guest in the Winning Teams Podcast is an old friend of ours from Toronto, Canada. Nicky Billou is the host of the business podcast show, Thought Leader Revolution, and the founder of E-Circle Academy. Nicky also wrote two highly recommended books, Finish Line Thinking and his most recent, The Thought Leader’s Journey.

Nicky has an interesting background- a Christian Middle-Eastern born in Iran and comes from a family of entrepreneurs. After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Nicky’s parents felt it would be better for them to move to the West. Initially, they moved to Greece and then, settled in Canada.

Raised in an entrepreneurial family, Nicky wanted to follow his father’s footsteps and own a business. However, he got sidetracked and worked in the corporate world for a while.

After a few false starts and struggling through a divorce, Nicky finally achieved his dream- to become his own boss. Nicky realised that it was his mission to make a difference and to help people similar to him. Listen here for the full story

Nicky also used to be one of the top fitness trainers in Canada. He had a program called The CEO Health Coach and his clients were mainly CEOs and top performers.

 

In this episode, Nicky shares with us:

* His brief background and how he got to where he is now.

* Overview and discussion about Nicky’s work: The Thought Leader’s Journey, the E-Circle Academy, and The Thought Leadership Revolution

* Leaders are readers.

* Stories are a powerful way to get messages across.

* The focus of the interaction should be on the prospect, not on the salesperson.

* Clarity is very important in business. Don’t act like someone who has commission breath.

Commission breath is a technical term which means a salesperson just wants to sell and doesn’t care how he gets it.

* Why do people need to get emotionally connected to their pain?

* Ways to build and nurture an audience for the longevity and sustainability of your business.

 

Book Recommendation, Habits and Where to Get in Touch:

Nicky recommends The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. It is a marvellous fiction story which outlines the philosophy of individualism, free-market capitalism and pursuing your own dreams. He absolutely loves books by the two authors who have inspired him to write, Og Mandino and Robin Sharma. Their best-known books are The Greatest Salesman in the World and The Monk who Sold his Ferrari, respectively.

Nicky exercises every day. He believes that excising gives you clarity, more energy, and longevity.

Nicky’s exercise routine:

 

* Go to the gym and lift weights 3 times a week.